World No Tobacco Day 2026: Czech Efforts to Curb Youth Nicotine Use and Support Cancer Patients
On 31 May 2026 the World Health Organization marked World No Tobacco Day with the theme “Uncovering attractiveness – fighting nicotine and tobacco addiction”. WHO warned that the tobacco and nicotine industry uses appealing flavours, sleek designs and claims of reduced harm to lure children and adolescents, especially via e‑cigarettes and nicotine pouches.
In the Czech Republic, the Voice of Oncology Patients (HOP) joined the global appeal, stressing that quitting smoking is crucial for the success of cancer treatment. Studies cited by HOP show that patients who continue to smoke experience higher toxicity, poorer therapeutic response and increased mortality. HOP released a new patient guide to help smokers quit and highlighted the national screening programme for early lung cancer detection. Czech data indicate that almost half of young people aged 15–24 now use some form of nicotine product, with a marked rise in e‑cigarette and nicotine‑pouch consumption.